Research Goal C: Reduce Health Disparities among Older Persons and Populations - Sub-goal 1- f. Improve health behaviors and health promotion strategies - Pilot Data Collection in an Aging Population. Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths in women 65 years of age and older, with about 50% of all newly diagnosed breast cancers occurring in this group. Older women are also at greater risk for being diagnosed with a more advanced stage of breast cancer (ACS, 2001; Ries, et al., 2002; Tishler, McCarthy, Rind, & Hamel, 2000). Thus, breast cancer presents a serious problem to the health of older women. For older African American women, the risks are even greater because of persistent health disparities between African American and White American women. As a result, a need exists for additional culturally based knowledge that supports and ensures an increase in regular breast cancer screening and risk-reduction behaviors in older African American women. The proposed focus group study, led by a "new investigator," will address this need by identifying social, cultural, religious, behavioral and agerelated factors that are facilitators or barriers to initiating and maintaining regular breast cancer risk-reduction behaviors in older African American women of diverse ethnic, economic and educational backgrounds. The specific aims of this study are to: 1) identify participants' knowledge of breast cancer and breast cancer screening and risk-reduction behaviors; 2) identify social, cultural, religious, behavioral, and age-related factors associated with regular participation in breast cancer screening and risk-reduction behaviors; 3) examine health beliefs that may influence regular participation in breast cancer screening and risk reduction behaviors; 4) identify perceived facilitators and barriers to regular breast cancer screening and risk-reduction behaviors; and 5) generate pilot data to guide the development of a questionnaire and a culturally and age-sensitive behavioral intervention to promote regular breast cancer screening and risk-reduction behaviors in older African American women. A sample of 64 African American women aged 65 or older will be recruited from an African American church and the greater community. While African Americans are not a homogeneous group, they share important cultural, racial and historical experiences. Therefore, eight focus groups will be conducted. Semi-structured questions will guide the discussion in exploring health beliefs, religion influenced health beliefs, knowledge about cancer, current health practices, perceived susceptibility to cancer, and facilitators and barriers to regular breast health practices and riskreduction behaviors. This study has the potential to contribute to both overall goals of Healthy People 2010 to help Americans of all ages increase life expectancy and improve quality of life, and to eliminate disparities among various segments of the population. Specifically, this study has the potential to help reduce the number of new cancer cases as well as illness, disability, and death caused by this disease among older African American women.